There’s no rule that says you have to make your own Valentines Day desserts. But setting aside a little bit of time to make a Valentine treat for your family can make the day feel extra memorable — especially if you include your kids.
The good news is that Valentines Day treats don’t have to be Pinterest-perfect or time-consuming to be special. Here are a few simple hacks to help you save time (and money!) on your Valentine desserts.
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Turn your favorite desserts into Valentines Day treats with red or pink food coloring, seasonal sprinkles, heart shapes, or heart molds
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Add red or pink fruit, like strawberries and raspberries, to batter (pureed is best!) — or as a topper for cakes and cupcakes
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Use leftover candy from Christmas (or Halloween!) instead of buying new seasonal candy
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Focus on simple, no-bake recipes, like chocolate covered strawberries or pretzels, chocolate pudding, or truffles
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Buy boxed mixes or use ready-to-bake cookie dough if you don’t have a ton of time to bake or your patience for baking is low
- Add fruit, candies, or other favorite snacks to a heart-shaped bowl
Tips for Baking With Kids
One tip I’ve always kept in mind is that kids care more about helping you than how something looks. Even if your Valentines Day desserts don’t look like the photos in the recipes, they’ll still taste great. It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids how to deal with disappointment and that everything takes practice. Plus, sometimes it’s the moments that don’t go right that turn into the best memories!
That being said, it can be semi-stressful to bake with kids. I’ve been baking with my kids since they were little and now they’re all tweens, so I’ve learned some things along the way! Here are some tips that can help make baking easier — for you and your kids.
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Take it one step at a time. Baking and decorating can take up a lot of time. So why not split them up? Choose one day for baking and then decorate the next day.
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Speed things up. Pre-measure ingredients and get everything ready before kids come into the kitchen to help. You can also bake Valentine desserts ahead of time and have kids focus on decorating them.
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Prepare for messes. On the flip side, kids learn by doing! Let them scoop, measure, and pour ingredients. For simpler cleanup, put parchment paper down and have a damp dishcloth ready to go.
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Give everyone a job. Have more than one kid who wants to help? Give them each a task they have full control over. For example, maybe one kid does dry ingredients and the other handles wet ingredients. Or one kid does the frosting and the other does the sprinkles.
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Keep short attention spans in mind. It’s never ideal when a kid decides they’re done baking, there’s flour all over the counter, and you still have to finish up the treats. Before you start baking, set up a kid-friendly activity they can easily go to that will engage them.
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My Family’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
This list includes recipes to make Valentine’s Day cookies, cupcakes, cakes, and more delicious desserts. You’ll also find some ideas for simple Valentine snacks you can prepare for after school or weekends.
Heart-Shaped Cookies
These sugar cookies are super cute — whether you write on them or not! This recipe also includes cookie-making tricks, like rolling out your dough before chilling it and how to easily transfer it to your fridge. For a cookie dough recipe that doesn’t require any chill time, try these heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies.
Heart Thumbprint Cookies
You can’t go wrong with shortbread and jam! These jam heart cookies are such a cute and yummy treat for Valentine’s Day. Plus they’re very easy to make. This recipe also includes helpful baking tips, like weighing your flour on a kitchen scale and using the back of a teaspoon to make the heart shape on your cookies.
Chocolate Valentine Cookies
I love the idea of using stencils to spell out something sweet on your Valentine desserts (or you can skip the stencils and just use icing). This recipe shows you how to make heart cookies that spell out “I love you” — or whatever else you want to say! If your kids love to bake with you, this is a fun one to make with them.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
If you look up Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, red velvet is everywhere — from cakes, to cupcakes, to brownies. My kids love these red velvet cupcakes best, so I had to include them in this list. This recipe took almost four years to perfect (and I love that she gives a ton of backstory on what went into it), so you know it’s good!
Strawberry Cake
The strawberry puree for the cake batter and the freeze-dried strawberries for the cream cheese frosting are what set this cake apart. Not only is it surprisingly easy to make, but it’s also a delicious Valentine treat for the whole family to enjoy! This cake is also a good one to bake if your kid’s birthday is around Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate Strawberries
If you’re looking for easy Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, chocolate covered strawberries are the way to go. This is a super simple recipe with only two ingredients, and it includes helpful tips for making sure your strawberries turn out perfect.
Sprinkle Heart Cupcakes
Turn any cupcake into a Valentine treat by adding a sprinkle heart! This recipe shows you how simple it is to decorate your Valentines Day desserts — and includes a variety of cupcake and frosting recipes to try.
Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes
I love the idea of switching up your Valentines Day desserts from the classic strawberry to the tart raspberry. This recipe includes lots of helpful tips for making the vanilla cupcake and the raspberry buttercream frosting. There is also an option to add a raspberry or lemon filling.
Chocolate Pudding
My kids love chocolate pudding! This no-bake dessert would be a fun after-school treat — or a great way to wrap up your family dinner. I also love this dairy-free option. You can easily transform each serving into a Valentine treat by topping it with whipped cream and Valentine’s Day sprinkles.
Valentine’s Day Hot Chocolate
Since Valentine’s Day is during winter, I love the idea of making hot chocolate as a special treat. Plus it’s a nice switch it up from the standard cookies and cupcakes! This recipe shows you how to make pink hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and Valentine’s Day sprinkles. If your kids are like mine and won’t touch white chocolate, check out these other fun cocoa ideas instead.
Valentine’s Day Cake Pops
My kids love cake pops, but they can be pricey, so I prefer to make my own as a special treat. These Valentine desserts are super cute and simple to make. All you need is leftover cake or boxed cake, frosting, candy melts, and lollipop sticks. While this recipe uses pink and white chocolate candy melts, you can also use regular chocolate and top with seasonal sprinkles.
Valentine’s Day Pretzels
If you’re looking for sweet and savory Valentine snacks, try making your own chocolate covered pretzels with Valentine’s Day sprinkles. This is a fun after-school treat or simple weekend snack. And it’s easy for kids of all ages to help with! I also think it would look really cute on a charcuterie board with other kid-friendly snacks.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
The perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter! This is my go-to recipe for peanut butter blossoms. To make them more festive for Valentine’s Day,, we add sprinkles or heart chocolates as seen in this recipe.
Valentine’s Day Cookie Bar
Stretch your baking budget for Valentine desserts by making one big treat! This cookie bar results in anywhere from 18-36 servings, depending on how big (or small) you cut the pieces. I love this recipe because it’s an easy way to turn something simple into a Valentine treat — just mix in some red, pink, and white M&Ms or use a heart-shaped tin.
Valentine’s Day Slice and Bake Cookies
If you’re looking for fun variations on classic Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, make these cute cookies with a heart in the middle. This recipe shows you how simple it is to make your own cookie dough log — along with a trick for getting perfectly round cookies.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Fondue Dessert
I picked up this fondue kit a few years ago and it was a big hit with my girls! It would also be very easy to make these Valentine snacks on your own since it’s just strawberries, pretzels, mini marshmallows, and melted chocolate.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Need gluten-free desserts for Valentine’s Day? Even if you aren’t gluten-free, I’d recommend this deliciously rich cake to anyone. I also love that it looks fancy but is very easy to make — you don’t even need a mixer! For an extra fun treat, top cake slices with powdered sugar and raspberries.
Chocolate Banana Bread
Love banana bread? Turn it into a Valentine’s Day treat by making it extra chocolatey! Along with your typical banana bread ingredients, you’ll add cocoa powder and chocolate chips. I also like this recipe because it uses less sugar than normal — and it’s still plenty sweet.
Valentine Brownies
These Valentine desserts are perfect for chocolate lovers. And you only need two ingredients! This is an easy treat to make if you don’t have a lot of time to bake or want something super simple to make for Valentine’s Day.
INGREDIENTS
💗 Boxed brownie mix
💗 Red, white, and pink chocolate candies
DIRECTIONS:
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Make brownie mix according to directions on the box mix. Or make your favorite batch of brownies from scratch.
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Sprinkle Valentine M&Ms on top of the batter before baking.
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You can gently press a few more M&Ms into the cooked brownies immediately after it comes out of the oven. We did!
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Let the brownies cool completely after baking.
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Slice the Valentine brownies & enjoy!
Valentine Cupcakes
Another super easy dessert. You can make your own cupcakes or buy a boxed mix and frosting from the store. Then follow these directions to get creative with your decorating!
DIRECTIONS
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Make your favorite cupcakes and let them cool completely. You can use store bought too!
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Ice the cupcakes.
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Add sanding sugar.
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Lay out words or designs on the counter before adding each candy to the cupcake. Trust me — don’t skip this step.
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Let your imagination run wild with what words you can spell!
Ali’s Pro Tip: Have leftover desserts you won’t eat in time? Pop them into some cute Valentine’s Day treat boxes and share extras with neighbors, family, and friends. Or freeze extra portions to enjoy later! Remember, you can use leftover cake for cake pops, truffles, and parfaits, too.
Baking Tools & Accessories
Here’s everything I use to bake Valentine’s Day cookies and other holiday desserts — separated by must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Must-Haves
Hand Mixer: A lot of online recipes call for a stand mixer, but you can easily use a hand mixer instead. This mixer is very affordable and has five speeds.
Half Sheet Baking Pan: Designed to prevent warping, this pan is built to last. You can also use it for more than just cookies.
Glass Measuring Cup: This measuring cup can go in the dishwasher, freezer, microwave, and a preheated oven. It also comes in handy for melting butter, mixing pancake batter, and more.
Measuring Cups: This stainless steel set is built to last with strong handles that don’t easily bend or break. Plus, it has a flat design that prevents spills.
Measuring Spoons: I love the look of these spoons! They are also conveniently double-headed — with a rounded side for liquids and an oval side for dry ingredients and narrow jars.
Mixing Bowls: This set includes five mixing bowls for a very affordable price. I also love that it comes with lids and grater attachments.
Whisk: OXO is a high quality brand, and this whisk is well-made and comfy to hold.
Spatula: These silicone spatulas are sturdy, flexible, and safe for pans. Use them to stir, scrape, and fold ingredients in.
Valentine Cookie Cutters: I’m including this in the must-have list even though you don’t really need them because they make it easier for you to turn any baked good into a Valentine dessert.
Nice-to-Haves
KitchenAid Stand Mixer: I highly recommend getting a stand mixer if you do a lot of baking throughout the year and want quicker, more consistent results. Keep an eye out on Facebook Marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group for a cheaper option!
Silicone Baking Mats: These reusable mats keep your baking sheets clean and help you reduce waste since you don’t need to use any oil, cooking sprays, or parchment paper. They’re also dishwasher-safe.
Cooling Rack: These cooling racks allow your cookies to stop baking so they’re more evenly cooked. You can also use them as a roasting rack (over a baking sheet) for meat and veggies.
Food Scale: This food scale makes it easy to measure ingredients more accurately, which is very important when baking. There’s also a handy pull-out screen for when you’re using an oversized bowl.
Cookie Scoop: This kitchen tool makes it so much easier to scoop and portion out the right size of cookie dough. You can also use it to fill muffin liners, shape meatballs, and more.
Icing or Piping Bags: These come in handy if you are icing cookies or cakes. You can also use it to melt candy in the microwave and fill candy molds.
Q&A: Valentine’s Day Desserts
What are some easy Valentine’s Day desserts I can make?
Chocolate strawberries and pretzels, chocolate pudding, hot chocolate, and chocolate fondue are all yummy treats that are super simple to make. The next step up would be chocolate banana bread, a cookie bar, thumbprint cookies, and peanut butter blossoms.
How long will my Valentine desserts stay fresh?
Most baked goods will stay fresh for up to 7 days in an airtight container, stored at room temperature. To reduce food waste, you can freeze leftover portions, repurpose them in other recipes, or gift them to neighbors and friends. Another option is to see if you can donate to local community groups, like nursing homes, food banks, and fire stations.
Which Valentine’s Day dessert recipes work best for kids?
It depends on their age and skill level, but the best recipe is the one they’re excited to make with you! Start by choosing simple recipes, reading the steps aloud, and giving them age-appropriate tasks. Make sure to also remind them of any kitchen rules and allow for extra time to bake together.
Do I need any special tools for baking these Valentines Day treats?
Certain tools — like a stand mixer, rolling pin, cookie scoop, and food scale — can make baking easier while also improving how your baked goods turn out. But you also don’t need any of them to start baking! Everything I use is linked above and separated into what you need vs. what would be nice to have.
How can I make Valentine’s Day feel more special?
Have kids help you in the kitchen or surprise them with one of these desserts! You can also pop a treat into their lunch box with a sweet note. Or make other Valentine’s Day meals, like heart-shaped waffles for breakfast or heart-shaped pasta for dinner. These desserts would also be fun for a family game night or movie night.
More Sweet Ideas
I personally love Valentine’s Day as a reminder to show others how much you care — and how important it is to spread love and kindness within your own family and community. If you make any of these Valentine’s Day goodies or have some recipes of your own that you love, share with me in the comments!
For more fun Valentine’s Day ideas, check out these posts:
